May 20th, 1856

Born on May 20th, 1856

Age in days, weeks and months
Wow, over 61,000 days old!

Why not celebrate an alternative birthday? In 670 days, exactly on February 18th, 2026, people who were born on May 20th, 1856 will be 62,000 days old!

... in seconds, minutes and hours

What happened on May 20th?

May 20th, 2013

A tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, United States, killing 24 people and causing an estimated $2 billion of damage.

May 20th, 2012

The first of two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, resulting in seven deaths.

May 20th, 1983

uMkhonto we Sizwe, the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress, detonated a car bomb in Pretoria, resulting in 19 deaths and 217.

May 20th, 1965

While attempting to land at Cairo International Airport, Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 crashed for unknown reasons, killing all but 6 of the 121 people on board.

May 20th, 1947

The first session of the National Diet opened in Tokyo, Japan.

May 20th, 1943

The Luttra Woman (skull pictured), a bog body from the Early Neolithic period, was discovered near Luttra, Sweden.

May 20th, 1941

World War II: German paratroopers began the Battle of Heraklion on the island of Crete, capturing the airfield and port in Heraklion ten days later.

May 20th, 1927

By the Treaty of Jeddah, the United Kingdom recognized the sovereignty of King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia (pictured) over Hejaz and Nejd, which later merged to become Saudi Arabia.

May 20th, 1875

Representatives from seventeen countries signed the Metre Convention, which set up an institute for the purpose of coordinating international metrology and for coordinating the development of the metric system.

May 20th, 1609

Thomas Thorpe published the first copies of Shakespeare's sonnets, possibly without William Shakespeare's consent.

May 20th, 0794

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia was beheaded on the orders of King Offa of Mercia.

May 20th, 0685

The Picts defeated the Northumbrians at the Battle of Dun Nechtain, severely weakening the latter's power in northern Great Britain.

May 20th, 2022

Russo-Ukrainian War: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege.

May 20th, 2019

The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete.

May 20th, 2016

The government of Singapore authorised the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a Chinese construction worker despite the international pleas for clemency, notably from Amnesty International and the United Nations.

Birthdays
... of famous people, actors, celebrities and stars on May 20th

Born on May 20th, 1856

53

Henri-Edmond Cross

French Neo-Impressionist painter (1856-1910)

*May 20th, 1856, Douai †May 16th, 1910, Le Lavandou

89

Helen Hopekirk

American pianist and composer of Scottish descent

*May 20th, 1856, Scotland †November 19th, 1945, Cambridge

Same Day
Who's birthday is on May 20th?

65

Jane Wiedlin

American musician

*May 20th, 1958, Oconomowoc

36

Shendy Puspa Irawati

Indonesian badminton player

*May 20th, 1987, Nganjuk

26

Dechapol Puavaranukroh

Thai badminton player

*May 20th, 1997, Chonburi

75

Jon Amiel

English film director

*May 20th, 1948, London

40

Anastasia Russkikh

Russian badminton player

*May 20th, 1983, Gatchina

67

Sigrid Undset

Norwegian writer (1882-1949)

*May 20th, 1882, Kalundborg †June 10th, 1949, Lillehammer Municipality

51

Honoré de Balzac

French novelist and playwright (1799–1850)

*May 20th, 1799, Tours †August 18th, 1850, Paris

23

Rosa Linn

Armenisk singer-songwriter

*May 20th, 2000, Vanadzor

44

Jonathan Neil Morgan

Badminton player

*May 20th, 1979, Llanelli

34

Goh V Shem

Malaysian badminton player

*May 20th, 1989, Setapak

28

Iben Bergstein

Badminton player

*May 20th, 1995, Rødovre

27

Yukino Nakai

Badminton player

*May 20th, 1996, Nerima

89

James Stewart

American actor (1908–1997)

*May 20th, 1908, Indiana †July 2nd, 1997, Beverly Hills

66

John Stuart Mill

British philosopher and political economist (1806–1873)

*May 20th, 1806, London Borough of Islington †May 8th, 1873, Avignon

37

Kenn Lim

Badminton player

*May 20th, 1986, Alor Setar

21

Ferdian Mahardika Ranialdy

Badminton player

*May 20th, 2002, Yogyakarta City

78

Emile Berliner

German-born American inventor (1851–1929)

*May 20th, 1851, Hanover †August 3rd, 1929, Washington, D.C.

27

Robert Skov

Danish association football player

*May 20th, 1996, Copenhagen

57

Eduard Buchner

German chemist (1907 Nobel Prize)

*May 20th, 1860, Munich †August 13th, 1917, Focșani

84

Annie M.G. Schmidt

Dutch writer (1911-1995)

*May 20th, 1911, Kapelle †May 21st, 1995, Amsterdam

Same year
Born in 1856

83

Jens Bratlie

13th Prime Minister of Norway

*January 17th, 1856, Nordre Land Municipality †September 15th, 1939, Oslo

83

Sigmund Freud

Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis (1856–1939)

*May 6th, 1856, Příbor †September 23rd, 1939, London

86

Nikola Tesla

Serbian-American inventor (1856–1943)

*July 10th, 1856, Smiljan †January 7th, 1943, New York City

94

George Bernard Shaw

Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist (1856–1950)

*July 26th, 1856, Dublin †November 2nd, 1950, Ayot St Lawrence

67

Woodrow Wilson

President of the United States from 1913 to 1921

*December 28th, 1856, Woodrow Wilson Birthplace †February 3rd, 1924, Woodrow Wilson House

73

Georg von der Marwitz

German general (1856–1929)

*July 7th, 1856, Słupsk †October 27th, 1929, Unichowo

85

Anna Elizabeth Klumpke

American portrait and genre painter (1856-1942)

*October 28th, 1856, San Francisco †February 9th, 1942, San Francisco

62

Alexander Bernewitz

Latvian theologian (1856-1919)

*May 26th, 1856, Kandava †January 16th, 1919, Kandava

62

L. Frank Baum

American author of children's books (1856–1919)

*May 15th, 1856, Chittenango †May 6th, 1919, Hollywood

95

Philippe Pétain

French military and political leader (1856–1951)

*April 24th, 1856, Cauchy-à-la-Tour †July 23rd, 1951, Port-Joinville

69

John Singer Sargent

American painter (1856–1925)

*January 12th, 1856, Florence †April 15th, 1925, London

64

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

German politician (1856–1921)

*November 29th, 1856, Hohenfinow †January 1st, 1921, Hohenfinow

80

Frank B. Kellogg

American politician (1856-1937)

*December 22nd, 1856, Potsdam †December 21st, 1937, Saint Paul

83

J. J. Thomson

British physicist (1856-1940)

*December 18th, 1856, Cheetham Hill †August 30th, 1940, Cambridge

62

Karl Adolph Gjellerup

Danish writer

*November 30th, 1856, Roholte †October 13th, 1919, Klotzsche

59

Booker T. Washington

African-American educator, author, orator, and advisor (1856-1915)

*April 5th, 1856, Hale's Ford †November 14th, 1915, Tuskegee

45

Andreas Franz Wilhelm Schimper

German botanist (1856–1901)

*May 12th, 1856, Strasbourg †September 9th, 1901, Basel

59

William Wallace Denslow

American illustrator and caricaturist

*May 25th, 1856, Philadelphia †May 27th, 1915, Knickerbocker Hospital

60

Diamond Jim Brady

American businessman

*August 12th, 1856, New York City †April 13th, 1917, Atlantic City

55

Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo

Spanish author

*November 3rd, 1856, Santander †May 19th, 1912, Santander

Birthdays of famous people

Public holidays on May 20th

Fixed holidays (Christian feast day, National Awakening Day) which are celebrated on May 20th.

Date as a Roman numeral / digit

Leap year

Yes: 1856 is a leap year, therefore has a 29th of February with an additional leap day and a total of 366 days (instead of the usual 365 days in a normal year).

Calendar
May 1856